Culture of many: Andrea Kong is a multiracial teen with a rich heritage

Scholastic Choices, Oct, 2009 by Kristin Lewis

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Andrea Kong is a typical American teenager. She plays in the youth symphony, likes English and math, and serves as treasurer of the student government of her high school in Bakersfield, California. But there is another side to Andrea: her unique cultural heritage. She is Chinese, Korean, and American.

"I feel unique being a multiracial American," Andrea, who was born and raised in Bakersfield, tells Choices. "Because I'm Asian, many of my friends ask me what I am, and it's cool to say that I'm both Chinese and Korean, but I was born in America."

What does it mean to be multiracial? A multiracial person has more than one racial background. For example, say one parent is Mexican and the other is African and they live in the United States and have children who were born in the U.S. Those children are hispanic, African, and American.

Deeper Meaning

The term multiracial has come to mean more than just racial background. "Being multiracial is broader than race," says Deborah Johnson, a social worker who runs Kindred Journeys International, an organization that puts together trips to countries for families looking to explore their cultural heritage. "It also incorporates culture and ethnicity."

That means a multiracial person has more than one culture in his or her family. For example, a Chinese-Jewish-American might celebrate the Chinese New Year, Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), and the American New Year.

During the last U.S. Census, in 2000, nearly 7 million Americans identified themselves as multiracial, and when the Census is taken next year, those numbers will probably be a lot higher. Johnson, who is part of a Korean-Swedish family, says the increase in multiracial American families is exciting. "This is the American experience," she says. "We have drawn on such a wide, diverse pool of talent, culture, and histories."

In spite of this cool convergence of cultures, it can be tough for some multiracial teens to find an identity, especially if they look more like one parent than the other. "We are what we look like, and people want to pigeonhole us based on our physical appearance," Johnson says. "That can make a person not feel as entitled to the other part of their identity because it's less visible."

Some multiracial teens embrace each culture in their family's background. Or they might identify with one culture, especially if that culture is dominant in their home. Andrea, for instance, closely identifies with her Korean heritage. She belongs to a large Korean-American community, and she eats authentic Korean food. She practices speaking Korean with her maternal grandparents, who like to talk about what's going on back in their home country.

Why is it important to connect to your cultural heritage? "Culture gives you a sense of belonging in an intergenerational way," Johnson says. "It creates a connection to something larger than yourself and provides security as well as accountability to behave in a way that displays respect for yourself and your community."

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Family Tales

Andrea connects to her heritage through her parents' inspiring immigration stories. "My parents tell me these stories to show how hard their parents worked for us to have better opportunities here in the U.S.," Andrea says. "Their stories make us feel grateful for what we have and encourage us to work harder."

Andrea's mom arrived in the U.S. from South Korea as a teenager, and Andrea's father came from China as a young child. Getting to America was particularly difficult for Andrea's paternal grandparents. Her grandfather came to the U.S. first, and he spent several years working and saving money to bring over his wife and five children. Meanwhile, Andrea's grandmother struggled to keep the family afloat back in China. "She made very little money although she had multiple jobs," Andrea says. "Because they were struggling so much and had little food, she was unselfish and always gave her kids the bigger share."

When Andrea's grandparents established themselves and began earning good incomes, they continued to make sacrifices. "Their hard work paid off, and they made money," Andrea says. "But instead of using it for themselves, they saved it all for their grandchildren's college funds."

Standard to Meet

Though Andrea doesn't feel pressure to maintain a strong connection with her heritage, these stories do remind her of the responsibility she has to her family. "My dad expects me to excel in school," she says. "He wants me to go to a good college, get a good job, and become rich. On the other hand, my mom wants me to live a happy life. She does like for me to stay on top of things, but she trusts me and has faith in me. I am expected to have a stable life."

Andrea values her identity as a Korean-Chinese-American, but she doesn't like to discuss it with her friends. "I can talk about my heritage openly, but I don't choose to constantly talk about it unless asked," she says. "I feel apathetic to what my friends think about my culture. I don't feel like that's something they need to know."